Wire-stretcher.



N0. 831,741. PATBNTED SEPT. 2 5, 1906.V

G. E. PHILLIPS.

WIRE vS'lRElCHER.

APPLIUATIoN FILED MAY 22; 190e.

GILES E. PHILLIPS, OF SANGERVILLE, VIRGINIA.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 1906.

Application filed May 22, 1906. Serial No. 318.193.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, GILEs E. PHILLIPS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sangerville, in the county of Augusta and State of Virginia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in IVire-Stretchers;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in wire-stretchers,and more particularly to that class adapted to be used in stretchingfence-wires.

The object of my invention is to so construct the parts of my devicewhereby a continuous pull may be exerted upon a wire at the same timethe operating mechanism is being moved into position to gain a newleverage.

A further object is to so construct the frame of my improved stretcherthat the operating-lever may be stepped from end to end of said frameand securely held in its adjusted position while the wires are beingsecured in place upon the post.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter made clearly apparentin the speciiication and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown the preferred form of myinvention.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved stretcher,showing the same operatively applied to a fence. Fig- 2 is alongitudinal sectional view as seen from line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asectional view as seen from line 3 3, Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a detailplan view of the operating-lever.

Referring to the figures by numerals of reference, 1 indicates the frameof my improved stretcher, which has an elongated slot 2 therein andheads 3 at each end thereof. Adapted to take through the slot 2 in theframe 1 is a lever 4, which is provided with a slot 5 near one endthereof.

Extending through the lever 4 at right angles to the slot 5 is astationary shaft 6, which is surrounded by a collar 7, the collar beingdisposed in the slot 5. Also disposed through the lever 4 at rightangles to said slot 5 is a movable shaft S, said shaft being engaged bya collar 9, disposed in the slot 5, the opposite ends of the shaft 8being disposed through ways 10 in the lever 4, thereby permittinglateral movement of said shaft. A controlling-spring 11 is interposedbetween the collar 9 and one end wall of the slot 5, so that the shaft Swill be normally held at one end of the ways 10. The stationary shaft 6is adapted to engage notches 12, formed in one side of the frame 1,while the shaft 8 is adapted to engage notches 13, formed in theopposite side of the frame 1, the notches upon one side of the framebeing at a phase difference of substantially one-half the distancebetween the notches on the opposite side.

A bolt 14 is extended through one of the heads 3 and has its outer endbent to form a hook 15, which is designed to engage a staple or the like16, and by which means the stretcher is secured to any suitable support,as to a post 17 or the like. Extending through the opposite head 3 is arod 1S, the inner end of said rod being secured in the slot 5 midwaybetween the shafts 6 and 8, while the opposite end of the rod is securedin any preferred manner to a clamping member 19. Secured between thesections of the clamping member 19 are strands of fence-wires 20, saidwires being disposed along the line of fence and adapted to be securedto the posts 21 in the usual way.

The outer end of the rod 1S is curved to engage a clevis 22, said clevisbeing disposed around the clamping member and preferably midway itslength, so that an equal pull will be given each end of the clampingmember.

In operating my improved stretcher the Wires 20 are disposed in positionalonO' the posts and properly spaced apart, and after a section of thefence is so arranged the clamping member 19 is secured to the free endsof the wires, after which the rod 18 is placed in connection with thecentral portion of the clamping member and the bolt 14 at the oppositeend of the frame secured to any stationary object, such as a post or anyother convenient article near the line of fence, the lever 4 havingpreviously been disposed at that end of the slot nearest the clampingmember with the shafts 6 and 8 disposed, respectively, in the notches 12and 13 nearest that end of the frame. Vhen the lever is thus disposed,the handle end thereof is first directed to the right and the shaft 6disposed in the next succeeding notch 12, the shaft 8 yieldingsufficiently to allow the shaft 6 to be readily seated in said notch,and it will be understood that by moving the lever 4 from side to sidethe shafts 6 and S will be successively stepped from notch to notch andthe IOO IIO

in the slot 2.

wires 2O drawn taut, after which they may be secured to the post 21 bystaples or the like.

After the lever has been used to stretch the wire and it is desired toreturn the lever to its initial position `the forwardmost shaft isreleased from its respective notch by moving the lever 4 endwiseJthereby moving the shaft 8 laterally in the ways 10 and disposing theshaft 6 out of engagement'with its respective notch, whereupon the levermay be swung at right angles to the frame, in which position the shaftwill be free of the notches and the lever in position to be freely movedlaterally When the lever has been stepped from end to end of the frame1,' a chain 23, secured to that end of the frame nearest the clampingmember 19, is placed into connection with the clevis 22, after which therod 18 is disengaged from the clevis and the lever 4 returned to itsinitial position, and if it is desired to stretch the wire further aclamping member is secured to the wires in the rear of the member now inuse and the rod 18 secured thereto, when the chain is released and thestepping process again repeated.

What I claim is- 1. A stretcher of the class described comprising astretcher-frame, heads at each end of said frame, said frame having anelongated slot therethrough and a plurality of notches at each sidethereof, a slotted lever disposed through saidv elongated slot, astationary shaft secured to said lever and disposed at one side of theframe, a movable shaft through said lever and at the opposite side ofsaid frame, a controlling-spring for said movable shaft, a rod pivotallysecured to said lever between said shafts, means at the free end of saidrod to secure the same to wires, and additional means at the oppositeend of said frame to secure the same to a stationary object whereby,when the lever is operated, the shafts will successively engage thenotches in the frame and stretch the wires.

2. A stretcher of the class described comprising a frame having ahorizontally-disposed slot therein, heads at each end of said frame, alever disposed in said slot and having a slot therein7 a stationaryshaft and movable shaft disposed through said lever and slot one at eachedge of said horizontal slot adapted to engage notches in the edges ofthe frame, collars disposed in said lever-slot and around said shafts, acontrolling-spring dis-- posed into engagement with the movable shaft,said shaft extending through Ways in the lever, a rod disposed throughone of said heads and secured at one end to said lever, means at theopposite 4end of said rod to secure the same to a plurality of Wires,and additional means at the opposite end of said frame to secure saidframe to an immovable object.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GILES E. PHILLIPS.

Witnesses:

E. G. CRIST, A. Y. MCCUTCHAN.

